HortFACT
Identification
Adults are rather moth-like in appearance, but if disturbed they are able to jump vigorously as well as fly. Their broad forewings are clear with a mottled dark brown pattern. They have a stubby body 5-6 mm long, and elongated mouthparts for piercing plant tissue and extracting sap.
Eggs are pale, oblong-ovoid, and about 1 mm long. Like cicada eggs, they are inserted in plant stems in longitudinal rows. Relatively soft, dead or dying stems seem to be preferred.
Nymphs grow from 1 mm to 5 mm as they pass through five instars, or growth stages. They are pale with brown markings, and have a tuft of white waxy filaments on the abdomen which they move up and down rather like a peacock's tail fan. Nymphs lack functional wings, but wing buds appear during development, and are quite large in the last instar. Like adults they have a 'beak' for sucking sap, and hop if disturbed. (Immatures of the green planthopper, Siphanta acuta (Walker), are similar. However, their abdominal tufts project straight back, rather than up, and the body is pale green.)
Host plants
Despite their common name, passionvine hoppers feed on a great variety of exotic and native plants as well as the passionfruit vine. These include tutu, citrus, kiwifruit, hydrangea, privet, tecomaria, jasmine, wisteria, New Zealand flax, and various ferns.
Damage
Both nymphs and adults suck sap from tender stems and shoots and excrete great quantities of sticky honeydew on which sooty moulds may grow. If numerous, passionvine hoppers may cause general debility, stunting, and wilting. The series of slits produced by females when depositing their eggs may also contribute to dieback.
Honey poisoning
Apart from their damage to plants, passionvine hoppers play a role in the production of poisonous honey. The honeydew excreted by hoppers feeding on the shrub tutu (Coriaria arborea) is poisonous. Bees may collect this contaminated honeydew when floral nectar is scarce, and consumption of even small amounts of the resulting honey may cause vomiting, unconsciousness, and abdominal pains. From time to time deaths due to suspected honey poisoning have been reported in New Zealand.
Distribution
Although once restricted to Australia, the passionvine hopper was introduced to New Zealand over 100 years ago. It occurs in our warmer areas - Northland and Auckland districts, around much of the North Island coast, and in Nelson and Marlborough, even into the Buller. It is especially abundant in warm, sheltered areas of North Auckland. Further south it is apparently absent from areas of high elevation.
Life cycle
| Egg |  |
| Crawlers | |
| Nymphs | |
| Adult | |
| Month | |
| Note: Coloured bars indicate periods of peak activity in each of the life cycle stages | |
Passionvine hoppers overwinter as eggs, but not apparently in true diapause (Fletcher 1978). There is only one generation each year. As a rule the egg stage lasts 6 months or longer. Nymphs generally emerge between October and December and take nearly 3 months to develop. Adults are present from January to March, but in the far north some may appear in late December and a few may survive until late May.
L. L. DEITZ